The Boy Wonder
by mccartney78
Summary: Dick Grayson was a young man who was perfectly content with his life as a trapeze artist. Then one day, the Haley Bros. Circus goes to Gotham City. There, Dick Grayson's world is shattered, and his destiny forever entwined with a man called Bruce Wayne.
1. Prologue

Dick Grayson was always fascinated by the city. When the circus cycled through to the major metropolitan centers Dick would make it a point to absorb as much as he could from the surroundings. Just walking around gave him a sense of wonder. The fact that so many people were in one place, just going about their business, creating an almost complex organism in its organization. So when the Haley Circus was invited to set up at Gotham City, Dick was very perplexed when he found that he didn't get the same vibe from this town. It felt... wrong. Everywhere he went it felt as if there was a blanket of misery. It reminded him of "The Shadow over Innsmouth" only without the Cthulhu fish-people. Okay, so maybe Gotham was nothing like that, but it definitely didn't feel right. He was by no means ignorant to the city's reputation. Gotham was almost synonymous with crime and corruption.

Of course, in recent years, that had changed a little. It was now probably best known as the base of operations for the infamous Batman. Dick never really had a staunch opinion on Batman. He was just as intrigued by him as the average person of course, but never found the time to really think about it. He was too busy practicing his trapeze routine with his parents. "The Flying Graysons" _were_ the the star attraction in the circus. It was all he had ever known. Dick remembered that his father seemed melancholy when the young Grayson expressed interest in becoming a part of the act. He suspected that his father felt guilty for not being able to give his son a chance at a better life, or something to that effect. Dick _was_ definitely above average intelligence, absorbing knowledge from books like a sponge. But Richard John Grayson knew that the circus was where he belonged. He couldn't imagine a better life than performing for crowds with his parents by his side. He had also picked up several intriguing skills over the years in the circus. In addition to juggling and throwing knives, he had had a cursory education in several different types of fighting by martial artists that would occasionally join the circus for a spell. He was particularly good at using a bo staff. Rarely bored would probably be a good way to describe Dick Grayson.

He was currently moseying about Morrison Park as the tents were set up, taking in the looming structures that surrounded him. He figured he should get used to it, they were going to be here for two months after all. Apparently, it was Gotham's 150th anniversary, and Haney's Circus had been "invited" by Bruce Wayne, who was funding the whole event. Why Wayne decided to invite such a small and unknown circus, Dick didn't know. _Probably __just__ picked__ randomly __from__ a__ list,_Dick thought. So he was very surprised when Bruce Wayne himself showed up later that day.

"Mr. Wayne, it's a pleasure to meet you," Mr. Haney greeted the billionaire, a genuine smile on his face. Wayne responded in kind, although with a less genuine smile, Dick noticed. A convincing one, to be sure, but he could always tell when people weren't completely genuine. As Dick stood with his parents, about to greet Bruce Wayne, the sense that the playboy was putting up a front, hiding something, intensified.

"Ah, the Flying Graysons themselves, I look forward to seeing your show."

"I assure you it won't disappoint, Mr. Wayne," Dick's father said as he shook his hand. His mother, Mary Grayson, gave her son a reassuring pat on the back and gently led him toward Bruce Wayne. Mary was not a social person at all, and would always shy away from meetings.

"Uh, Dick Grayson, sir." Bruce Wayne had a firm handshake, Dick noticed.

"Good to know you. How old are you exactly?"

"I just turned 17, sir," Dick replied.

"Impressive. And please, stop calling me 'sir'. I assure you I'm not worthy of the title." At some point during Mr. Wayne's deposition, the elder Grayson's and Mr. Haley had disappeared, leaving Dick alone with the head of Wayne Enterprises. Then Wayne suggested that they take a walk around the grounds. Too intimidated to say no, Dick followed.

"So, you've been doing this your whole life?

"Yes, si-. Yes, I have. Started learning acrobatics when I was 4-years-old. I was 10 when I said I wanted to be a part of the act."

"Oh? I don't usually meet people who willingly do what their parents did." Dick shrugged in response.

"Just felt like I should do it. It always came naturally to me. Everyone's always telling me that I have 'perfect genes'. Mr Haley once told me, 'You were born an athlete and you got smarts to boot.'" Bruce chuckled at that, but again, it seemed forced.

"'Smarts to boot'?" Again, Dick shrugged.

"I guess I read a little more than you might expect a kid who was born in the circus to." They walked for a long time after that, Dick acting as a pseudo-tour guide for the different attractions. Dick was pleasantly surprised that they got along fairly well as they went along, talking about Dick's life in the circus, before moving on to the city and Bruce instructing on what it had to offer. Throughout the "tour", Dick also noticed that while he was certainly good at keeping conversation, everything Bruce said seemed... forced. As if he was uncomfortable with how he was talking. Eventually, Dick decided to ask him just why he had invited the Haley Bros. Circus. Wayne pursed his lips as he thought for a moment.

"To be perfectly honest it was kind of to spite everyone in my planning committee. They were recommending all these huge and fancy circuses. I wanted something old fashioned. I decided your circus fit that criteria." Surprised by the response, Dick didn't say anything. Which was just as well, because the trick horse rider Tom came up and tapped him on the shoulder, unintimidated by the fact that he was talking with Bruce Wayne.

"Hey, Robin, come on back, you're parents are lookin' for ya'"

"Alright, tell them I'll be there in a minute." After Tom walked away, Bruce shot an inquisitive look towards Dick.

"'Robin'?"

"My mom's nickname is 'Dove' and my dad's nickname is 'Hawk'. When I was born, everyone started calling me 'Robin'. My parents loved it," Dick grimaced. "I don't much care for it myself." Bruce smirked.

"Well, it's nice to know you're loved at least." Dick rolled his eyes that. Wayne checked his watch.

"I have a shareholder's meeting to sleep through anyway." Bruce shook Dick's hand again. "I look forward to seeing you next week, good luck." Dick nodded.

"Nice talking with you, Mr. Wayne." They went their separate ways, for what they both assumed would be the last time.

In the Mr. Haley's office, a man named Tony Zucco was having an interesting discussion with the aforementioned Haley. Zucco informed him how dangerous this city was and how wise it would be to "hire" his employers protection. An appalled Haney demanded he get out of his office and never come back. Tony was undeterred. He had heard the words many times before. They always wound up paying. Whether with money or with something else, they always paid.


	2. Descent

**AN: Sorry this took so long. And sorry it's so short. Hopefully I'll be able to update sooner next time. Thanks for reading.**

Bruce Wayne navigated through the crowd, super models on either arm, and flashed his expertly practiced smile towards the news cameras. He looked around the big top as he entered, remembering for a moment his conversation with Dick Grayson. Nice kid. Looked older than he was. Very laid back. Bruce would've liked to say that he looked forward to seeing him perform, but he would currently prefer to be on a rooftop wearing a cape and cowl. For weeks now, there had been rumors of a new contender in the Gotham underworld of organized crime. Bruce had put his money on one Oswald Cobblepot, recently arrived from England. Since his arrival, Cobblepot had opened up 'The Iceberg Lounge",an exclusive new dining venture. Bruce Wayne was no stranger to "respectable business-owners" who did less than respectable things for their actual business.

He was brought out of his thoughts when one of his companions nudged him towards their seats in the front row. Bruce settled in to his seat just as the lights began to dim. A spotlight came to life, with Mr. Haley its focus. Bruce listened to his rousing introduction (which took time to thank Wayne Enterprises, of course) with a begrudgingly amused ear. The show began with the trick horse-riding. A clown would have come next, if not for the fact that all representations of clowns had been banned from appearing in public.

As the show continued on, the Flying Graysons prepared for the big finale. Dick had never quite gotten used to it, still nervous after the five years he had been doing the act. His mother always managed to calm him down right before they went on. She was currently massaging his shoulders.

"It's alright, Dick, you'll be fine. We'll all be fine." It helped, but Dick had good reason to be worried. They were doing the show without a net tonight. Mr. Haley objected, but Dick's father had insisted. It was then that his father clapped him on the shoulder. Dick looked over into his father's chiseled face.

"Alright, 'Robin', it's show time."

"Dad, you know I hate it when you call me that."

"Try to suffer through it, son." With that, the Graysons walked out into spotlight, waving for the crowd. Bruce was brought out of his brooding for a moment when the Flying Graysons were announced. He joined in the applause for the first time in the whole show. Dick climbed up onto the trapeze set as Mr. Haley announced their lack of net tonight. He looked across at his mother and father on the opposite tower. They gave him a thumbs up as he took a deep breath. He grabbed the rope-suspended bar, and his parents did the same. Dick closed his eyes... and he jumped.

Everything was going fine. Great in fact. They flew through the air flawlessly, with daring bouts of aerial skill and acrobatic fortitude. Dick would never forget when he was grasping his father's arms, and how the grin that he wore on his face turned to one of horror. Dick didn't know what was happening. Suddenly, his father let go of his arms as they reached the platform. Dick stumbled as he landed, and whirled around to see what was happening. His eyes met the ropes holding aloft his father as they snapped, but he never saw his mother's rope snap. She was already plummeting towards the ground. He watched as his father joined in their rapid descent.

Dick always wondered if he should have closed his eyes before they hit the floor.


	3. Sudden Stop

**AN: Once again, I apologize for the wait. You have no idea how many different iterations this chapter went through in my head before I finally settled on one. And I'm still not all that satisfied with it. This time however, I've already started with the next chapter, so it definitely won't be as long a wait. I welcome any criticism or advice to improve my writing style. **

Dick stared at the untouched cup of coffee in his hands. It had long since turned cold. Sitting there in the GPD station, wearing his jacket over his tights, the young Grayson allowed his mind to drift. Drift anywhere but to recent events. He thought about Shakespeare, about the long soliloquies his characters would expound after the death of a loved one, and wondered if he should be doing the same. He squeezed his eyes shut. This wasn't working. So he hoped and prayed for a distraction to focus on. The door to the office he sat in opened. Snapping his head up, he saw Commissioner Gordon's solemn face. He knew the distraction would only last for a few seconds, but Dick relished every moment of it, putting off the inevitable as long as he could.

Jim Gordon looked into the young man's sad, blue eyes. He remembered the last time he had consoled a boy whose parents had been killed in front of him. He thought how lucky he was that he only had to do it twice in his career. Then he hated the city for making him think that. Gordon closed the door behind him.

"Hey, kid, how you holding up?" Jim asked in as kind a voice as he could muster. Dick merely shrugged in response. Jim grabbed a chair and sat down in front of him.

"Mr. Grayson... "

"Sir," Dick interrupted him before he could say anymore. "I'm really not interested in feeling better right now, so please don't try." Jim's face never moved.

"Alright, I won't," Jim Gordon appeared to ponder something for a moment, "Son, it looks like it was an accident..." Dick's face betrayed nothing to Gordon, "...but I have a... certain outside source who tells me that that's exactly what it was supposed to look like." Dick sat straight up in his chair and his stare hardened.

"They also tell me that Mr. Haley withheld certain information from the policemen that questioned him, particularly that he was threatened to pay protection money earlier this week by a known mob enforcer." Gordon noticed that the boy's mouth had opened ever so slightly. The commissioner swallowed.

"I'll do whatever I can to try and find him but... it won't be easy son. I make no promises." Dick Grayson didn't break down in tears. He didn't yell out in agony. He didn't fly off in a bout of rage. He simply sat back in his chair and returned his eyes to his cup of cold coffee, his face as unreadable as when Gordon came in.

"Um..." Gordon stumbled. "Do you need a ride back to the park?"

"I'm not going back." Dick's voice was level and unwavering. Commissioner Gordon blinked. Before he could ask any questions, Dick continued.  
>"I want my stuff back. But I'm not staying with them." Gordon was surprised to say the least.<p>

"Well, do you have any relatives that you can go too?"

"No," Dick's eyes never left the coffee,"I don't have any aunts or uncles, and my grandparents on both sides died before I was born."

"Uh, son... if you don't go back to Mr. Haley, if you stay here... you'll be considered a ward of the state, and probably placed in an orphanage."

"I know." The boy said nothing else. Jim Gordon stood up and put the chair back.

"Well... I'll send someone to collect your belongings... my office is right down the hall if you change your mind." The young Grayson didn't make any acknowledgment that he had heard him. Gordon opened the door and left the boy to his thoughts. Dick Grayson continued to stare at his coffee. Then he lifted it to his mouth and chugged it all down. He felt like vomiting after all the bitter liquid had gone into his stomach. _Good_, dick thought. He needed to feel something.

-  
><em>Three weeks later<em>

The sight of the bunk bed above him filled Dick's vision. He felt the cold sweat he had broken into. As he caught his breath, the boy who sat in the bed right next to him regarded Dick with light concern.

"'Nother dream?" the boy asked. Dick sat up and swung his feet over to the ground.

"Nightmare."

He had been in this Juvenile Detention Facility for about two weeks now. Dick thought he had heard in passing something about 'social services being full', leading to his current surroundings. Not that Dick had spoken up about it. He didn't really see any point; he could care less what happened to him. At least he had made something of a friend in this boy. What was his name? Jason, he believed. It was Jason who, in the cafeteria that same morning, pointed out the huge kid, who had been harassing Dick since he arrived, walking over to their table.

"He wants to kick your ass," Jason said as he tried to make himself look small.

"Again?" Dick replied as he picked at his 'food'.

"Yeah, that's how things go."

Before the conversation could continue, Dick's tray was ripped off the table.  
>"Get up." A simple order barked by the muscle-bound delinquent standing behind Dick with his 'gang'. Dick complied, turning around after getting to his feet. He saw a light smile on his antagonist's face. Dick allowed an intentionally mocking smirk to creep onto his lips.<p>

"You know, if you waited until after breakfast, you would have much more energy to expend on hitting me." No sooner had the words left his mouth that Dick found himself being shoved.

"I'm gonna fuck you up, pretty boy," Dick's opponent challenged him as his cohorts cheered him on. The entire cafeteria, Dick observed, was watching with bated breath. _Oh well_, he supposed, _might as well give them a show_. Dick spread his arms in a grandiose manner.

"As I am a gentleman, I shall allow you to deliver the first blow." Just as Dick expected, this guy was not at all amused by his humor. Dick waited patiently as his opponent ever-so-slowly (To Dick at least) brought his arm back and sent a fist flying towards his face. The harasser suddenly found his arm caught in Dick's vice grip. He then found his arm in terrible pain as the acrobat twisted his elbow in a direction it definitely was not meant to go. Dick quickly relieved the kid of his senses by maneuvering his head to make swift contact with the table they stood beside. Before Dick could even take a step back, he found himself being rushed by the gang that had been following. Quickly recovering, Dick incapacitated two of them at once with ease. The few remaining proved just as inconsequential to Dick's fighting prowess. While his would-be assailants squirmed on the floor, he flashed Jason a winning smile. The younger boy responded in kind with a much more subdued smile and a thumbs-up. Unfortunately, Dick's victory was short-lived due to the security guards that grabbed him and proceeded to drag him out of the cafeteria.

"Damn it, Grayson!" Dick sat in silence as the warden voiced his displeasure at the boy's behavior. He couldn't make himself care about the ramifications of his actions if he tried. That kid needed to be taught a lesson, and Dick more than willingly served as a teacher. It felt good to punish those him for trying to harass someone he thought weaker than him. And Dick hadn't felt good in three weeks.

"This is completely unacceptable. Three of those boys need to be taken to the _hospital_for their injuries!" The warden leaned over his desk to address Dick. "Now I don't know how the hell they did things in the carnival-"

"_Circus_," Dick said forcefully.

"Whatever!" The warden spat back at him. "The point is you don't hospitalize people just because they shove you around!" Dick bolted out of his chair and got right in the warden's face.

"I can guarantee you that they all deserved it!"

"You'd better learn some god-damned manners real fast junior!"

"Mr. Martin." Both heads snapped to the doorway. And both were equally surprised at who was standing there.

"Bruce Wayne?" Warden Martin instantly straightened up. Dick settled with a confused look aimed toward the billionaire. Bruce walked over to the warden and took out a wad of $100 bills from his suit pocket. The warden attempted to not be too eager when he took them.

"Mr. Martin, why don't you go out and buy yourself something nice." The warden hesitated only a moment.

"Uh... yes, sir." After the warden exited, Bruce shut the door behind him, leaving them alone in the office. Dick was still unsure how to react, and it showed.

"What... what are you doing here, Mr. Wayne?" Bruce turned around to face Dick.

"I'm here because I refuse to see a young man rot in the pit of society's ignorance." Dick's face now adorned a look of exasperation.

"Look, Mr. Wayne, I appreciate what I'm sure is your deep-seated concern for my well-being but I really don't need your pity."

"It's not pity, Dick. You're too good a kid to waste your life away."

"Don't. Don't try to tell me all that bullshit."

"I'm not. Dick, I need to get you out of here."

"**What the hell do you care!**" Dick whirled around on Bruce, his anger finally boiling over. He didn't flinch.

"Because I know what it's like to have the only two people you've ever loved taken from you right in front of your eyes!" This gave Dick pause, and his face began to soften.

"I know what it's like to suddenly have all sense completely leave your life." The two orphans eyes bored into one another's. "All those feelings of helplessness, of guilt... of injustice." Dick turned away and leaned on the desk. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"...I know how you feel, Dick." The boy didn't turn around. He tried to keep his voice steady as he spoke.

"Well? What are you going to do?" Bruce removed his hand.

"As of tomorrow, you're my legal ward." This caused Dick to turn around, his look of confusion returning.

"The paper work is all filled out. My butler, Alfred, will pick you up tomorrow." With that, the man turned and headed for the door.

"Bruce." He paused in the doorway. "Why us?" Dick addressed Bruce without moving from his position. "Why were we... spared?" Bruce turned.

"For 18 years I asked myself that same question every day."

"What happened?"

"...I found a purpose." The door closed, leaving Dick Grayson to ponder his future.


	4. Update

My god, it's been almost 2 years hasn't it? It's amazing how fast time goes by. First, an explanation. I had just written the next chapter, when my computer's hard drive decided to melt, and I lost the fairly lengthy chapter . So, I was disheartened from continuing for a while. Then, since Dark Knight Rises was coming out, I decided to wait and see it so I could then decide where I should go with the story. If you've seen it, then you know that messes up my story a bit. And I was left unsure of whether I should continue the story, and the next thing I knew, a year had gone by and I was starting college. After reading the reviews, I've decided to tentatively declare this fic restarted. To be honest, I'm pretty dissatisfied with the previous chapter, I felt like I really messed up in terms of pacing, and the dialogue feels unnatural. But, I've decided that I should just continue the best I can.

So, I guess I will now officially declare this an Alternate Universe story, diverging at the end of The Dark Knight. I think I'll let you decide exactly how it diverges, although I like the idea of blaming Harvey Dent's murders on the Joker rather than Batman (personally speaking, I always sort of felt them blaming Batman was a little forced). But yeah, for the time being, I'm disregarding DKR. If you've seen The Joker Blogs, I think I'm considering them as pseudo-canon in this story. If you haven't seen them, I highly recommend watching them (it actually partially inspired me to start writing this.)

If anyone is still here to read this, I actually want to ask for your feedback to some questions while I'm writing the next chapter, and I'd be willing to answer any questions you might have regarding the story.

I suppose this is a bit of a spoiler if I decide to go through with it, but I do kind of need help. I was going to make the Riddler the main antagonist eventually, but I'm not sure if I could do it justice, I'm really not that clever and I'm not sure I'd be able to create riddles befitting of him, but if anyone would be able to help with that, I would be grateful. On the other hand, I could have an entirely different main antagonist, and I'd be open to suggestions on that. Trust me, with my current outline, it'll be a while before that, and honestly should probably be a separate story.

Another thing I would like to know is whether you'd rather have shorter more frequent updates or longer more spaced out chapters?

I'm sure I will have more things to ask for feedback on in the future. For now, I'm going to be honest and say that my updating will not be on any sort of schedule, but I have endeavored to force myself to write every day.


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